Courtenay-Alberni Greens name Sean Wood as federal candidate

Courtenay-Alberni Green Party riding members have chosen Parksville resident Sean Wood to represent them in the next federal election.

The nomination meeting was held on Saturday, June 15 at Hupacasath Hall in Port Alberni, with Green Party of Canada members coming from all over the central Vancouver Island riding to vote. Wood won the nomination contest on Saturday, running against fellow contestant Mandolyn Johansson.

Wood was raised in Orillia, Ontario, but now lives in Parksville with his wife of 21 years (a registered nurse) and two sons (aged three and six). He owns a small business as a graphic designer and has previously worked for Canadian Pacific Hotels, Whistler-Blackcomb, Intrawest and Arc’teryx.

“I moved to B.C. in 1993,” he explained. “I still remember taking my first breathtaking view on the Sea to Sky highway and seeing the stunning majesty of the mountains.”

Sean says he is running for MP because he wants his children, as well as generations to come, to enjoy a stable, sustainable economy which allows Canada’s beautiful landscapes to sustain its people.

His first “baptism into the world of official politics” came in 2015, when he assisted Green candidate Glen Sollitt in his federal campaign. Most recently, he was in Nanaimo to support Paul Manly in his federal campaign for the Nanaimo-Ladysmith byelection. Wood said he was “really excited” about the results.

“It was really great to see [Manly] win,” said Wood. “It really shook the country. I think Canadians are starting to pay attention.”

Wood said he chose to run with the Greens because the party aligns well with his own political views.

“The Island is a beautiful place to live,” he said. “We all definitely need to cut down on toxic single-use plastics that are contaminating our landfills, lakes, parks and oceans. We need to end subsidies to large multinational corporations and the oil and gas industry and financially encourage sustainable, green technology for the long term. We need to act now for our children’s and our grandchildren’s futures.”

Wood follows the federal platform, which strives for a sustainable economy, a fairer tax system and a solution for the country’s climate crisis. He describes the Greens as a “strong voice” to guide the country in the direction it needs to go.

“Obviously we’re a small party…but I wanted to put my name forward,” said Wood. “They want people who are quite honest and have integrity and can bring new ideas to the party.”

As a federal Green candidate, Wood says he will vote for the region’s needs over party goals. Wood spent five years as a volunteer firefighter in Parksville, and he hopes to champion tax relief for the other dedicated volunteer firefighters, search and rescue and auxiliary Coast Guard members across Canada.

“It’s a dangerous job,” he said. “And I think the federal government can give these people a bit more of a thank you than they have now.”

Wood will be running against NDP incumbent Gord Johns and Conservative candidate Byron Horner. The Liberal Party has not yet announced a candidate for the Courtenay-Alberni riding.